Why are Hal's custom rocking chairs so comfortable?
Hal Taylor's Custom Rocking Chairs
In 1992 I made my first chair, a rocking chair for my daughter, Rachael, who was then three years old. Since that time I have endeavored to un-lock the secrets of what makes a rocking chair comfortable so I can apply what I learn to each rocking chair that I make. Folks who have had the pleasure of sitting in one of my rocking chairs believe that I have succeeded in creating the most comfortable wooden chair ever made, agreeing with Colin Edon-Eadon, the past editor of "Furniture and Cabinetmaking".
Hands down, my greatest influence when it comes to working wood has been James Krenov. After reading James' first book, "A Cabinet Makers Notebook" I realized that I wanted to work "with" the wood and not simply to "use" the wood. It may not sound like a great difference but to me it is. Here is what James had to say about his working with wood and tools:
"I always think of wood as being alive. I grew up in primitive places, in the North where there were many legends and the supposition that some objects were animated and alive with a spirit of their own. Sometimes, when I work, this creeps into the atmosphere: the sense that maybe the wood and the tools are doing, and want to do something which is beyond me, a part of me, but more than I am. And I don't want to ask too many questions about this. I note it as a curiosity, perhaps a bit exaggerated, but there is always this element of discovery, the sense of something hapening which is more than you expect." James Krenov from "A Cabinet Makers Notebook"
It was Sam Maloof who showed me that a rocking chair could also be a work of art. I remember the first Maloof rocking chair I ever saw in person. It was a maple rocking chair on display at the Renwick Gallery in Washington D.C. I looked that chair over from top to bottom for more than an hour and would have stayed longer had my wife, Wendy, not dragged me away.
I hope you enjoy your visit to haltaylor.com. If you are interested in learning the art of making a fine rocking chair then you should visit my
web site where you will find all the resources you need to make your own beautiful rocking chair. I have a 235 page book, 10 hour long video and templates (in six sizes) as well as tools and supplies used in the making of rocking chairs.
Thanks for checking out my custom rocking chairs!
Hal Taylor
Rocking Chair Maker
